Nesting
"About Kian..."
"He...could stay with my guys...on Patch's world?
"He's not human, Derek. He's not one of us. And they're -- if they were all like you I wouldn't mind. But they're all about human whores and drink."
" Not my team..."
"No?"
"Where is he from?"
"He's fae, Derek. His mother and father, I think. Both fae. He needs...a mother.
"They wont be on Patch's world."
"A little boy needs at least a mother."
"Lupe. Lupe will be there too."
Her eyes are suddenly wet. "Damnit. I'm sorry." She wipes them away. "He needs his own kind, doesn't he?"
Derek offers his arms. "Yes...but until we find them…If I could get him to talk to me...We could go look."
She reaches for him. "Where is his mother? Is she dead? He never asks, Derek."
"...Maybe he needs to be asked." Derek takes her in, holding her gently.
"I'll go look...but I need a direction."
"It's...there's no help for it."
"...There is. Just have to find it. I'm serious though...Kian can stay with the guys if you prefer...until something better comes along."
"Thank you."
"Got a couple of guys from Ireland."
"That...I suppose that helps."
"Ireland...used to fae. They've...uh....it runs in the family. Or so the old stories go...my world isn't as supernaturally simple as I thought."
"I thought...you were Ital - Sicilian."
"I am. Why...the Irish?"
"Two of my guys are Irish."
"Does that mean they're part fae on your world?"
"...The group is made up of independents from different places."
She's alarmed but keeps it out of her voice. Her arms have flexed on Derek, however.
"...well, the Irish are pretty tightly bound to the Celtic fae...and no, they're human. But their family has a lot of stories...and...they...have dealt with Fae."
Not in the least reassured, Jun releases Derek and goes to sit in the corner.
"You want to meet them first? They're human, Jun."
She walks to avoid giving any possible snipers a clear target. It's unconscious, but there it is. "I don't want him to go."
"All right. He won't then."
"...But doesn't that leave you with Yvaine as your choice?"
She waves her hand then covers her face with it.
"...Jun...Talk to me. What am I missing in this?"
"I don't want him to go. If I keep him here he'll be harmed. For sure. If I keep him I'm being selfish."
Derek sighs. "...Jun...can I ask you something?"
"Yes. Please do." She sighs gustily and folds her arms between her knees at the elbow.
"If...you didn't have to worry about the ISO...or assassins...or the Armada...would you keep Kian indefinitely? As your own?"
"Yes."
"Essentially, your child."
She shakes her head. Her face is red from suppressed tears.
Derek makes his way to her, sitting next to her, not touching, but close, "Then how? What is he to you, Jun?" he keeps his voice gentle...he wants to know...but not to judge...just to understand
"You don't understand...I want him for mine. To raise."
Derek was quiet for a moment before he nodded. "Because...?" he nudged her gently.
"It's how I feel."
Derek nodded again. "...How long do you think it will take this time...the armada?"
"The rest of my life." She said it promptly. Like she'd just been looking at a watch and he'd asked her the time.
Derek stayed quiet for several minutes, taking his time, unlike Jun. "If that's the case, then why are you shutting away everything but that?"
"What?" She looks puzzled but alert.
"If this war is going to be going on for the rest of your life, why are you shutting away everything but the war?"
"Back off, Derek. Please."
"All right." He gets up, moves away...but his body language doesn't shut her out...just gives her room. "Thanks for changing the hoses on the Jeep."
"I looked at the odometer and..." She realizes it's an intimate thing she did, climbing into the innards of his jeep. "I didn't touch anything else."
Derek smiles a little, "It's all right. I trust you."
She flops over on her side and wriggles so that she's in the remaining sun.
"...I've been trying to find signs of Ken at ISO...." he added quietly after a moment, "They tend to drag me in past a lot of locked doors."
"Right."
Jun's precise answer causes him to fall quiet again.
"...I have a contract...Wednesday...starting Wednesday."
"You're leaving for where?"
"San Juan."
Sitting up isn't as much of an effort as she anticipates. "Whose Puerto Rico?"
"San Juan Mexico"
"Okay."
"Back where I came from."
"Right. Why?"
"Because there aren't enough of us for me to sit it out. And because it's in the city...and because most of the guys only have a couple of years under their belts. And because they couldn't give us a definite number, so I'm going to have to find them all first."
"I realize there's an alien invasion due any minute now, but is there any other reason why I'm not going into that trap with you?" She still can't raise both eyebrows, so she does what she can to shove her mouth to one side of her face.
"...Because you don't like hunting?" Derek gives a smile that might mean he's either joking or not sure if she'll hit him for that comment.
"There's a lot of things I don't like. Hunting tops that list. I guess if I didn't hate it so much we'd make it a twosome, neh?"
"...Only if you wanted to. It's...a nasty job. I don't care what flak Wilson might give me for my targets not being human. It's still murder, and if they were human, it would be considered murder of the worst type. It's not clean. It's never clean. I'd never wish this job on anyone."
"I know."
"...You're welcome to it, Jun...it's good pay this time around...two thousand per confirmed kill...but...The money will come home either way...and I wouldn't ask you to do it when there's so many other nasty things for you to deal with here anyway..."
"It's your calling, my friend. I want to help you when I can. If you need me...let me know, yes?"
Derek smiled a little, nodding.
"Ah, don't worry about, Mr. Wilson. He's annoyed because he's greedy. And an assassin."
"Wasn't, really...I won't like not seeing you."
She made her way towards him.
"...not being able to touch you...or smell you..."
She laughs helplessly. "...Derek..."
"What...?" One eyebrow raises
Laughter pulls itself out of her. She gestures at their surroundings, the living area of an apartment she'd cleaned and the clothes she was still wearing.
"...And, your point?" his eyebrow raises a little higher, but he's smiling a little himself.
"You were sick all night." She shakes her head at him even as she hugs him.
Derek hugs her back, "...Sorry about that...sorry I couldn't help today."
"...I don't mind, darling." The word is awkward in her mouth but she says it again as she smoothes his hair back from his forehead. "You are my darling and you were sick and I don't mind that you got rest today. What kind of woman would I be if I expected you to perform in your weakened condition?" Her expression appears as set as ice, but complex humor informs her gaze -- like icebergs.
Derek's smile changed to a grin before going deadpan. "...Deadly."
"See? Too close to undead as it is."
"You think? You sure about that?"
"I know. I'm past weeping about it. I am content with your affections as they are."
"Oh, ow. Now that...that will kill me..." His hands spanned around her waist, fingers tracing nails carefully across her skin.
"No!" she shrieked and danced out of his reach. "I smell!"
Derek winced a little at the noise, and actually ducked to cover his ears. He blinked a little, watched as she headed for the furo. He followed her down the hall. She's acting all sorts of odd from what he's used to and he's not sure if he should follow her in or leave her be. Eventually, Derek let himself in, undressing where he should, joining her on the bench. "You worked hard today...may I?"
"Yes...of course."
Derek is gentle with the sponge, smoothing it over her back with long strokes. He likes this...likes doing this...likes feeling her back past the sponge and soap, feeling the hint of body heat between them that the water doesn't cool.
"I cleaned."
Derek sighed, smiling. "All right..." he reaches for the water
"I scrubbed. I went by Ken's trailer."
Derek stops moving, puts everything back down, and nods. "...And?"
"No sign of him."
Derek was quiet. Then, "Everything was still there though?"
"Hai."
She leans forward so he can reach lower on her back. "I cleaned there too. Then I made an appointment with the people I think are Landau, Luckman and Lake."
"...And they are?"
"Mr. Wilson told me about them."
Derek takes the physical clue and starts to gently scrub again.
"They're an interdimensional holding company. I'm not looking forward to seeing how much my liquid assets are worth on the omniversal market."
"...Are you planning on liquidating your assets?"
"No. I have liquid assets. But I have to be careful or I'll have revenue Utoland asking me questions."
"...What are you planning then?"
"Hiring mercerneries.
"...To find Ken?"
"To fight aliens."
"Raising an army?...how many?"
"I'm not that liquid."
Derek is silent for a moment, concentrating on her back, following the spine. "...Would you object to letting me help in respect to the money?"
"No."
"Then I would like to help. How many do you want?"
"Let's...talk war later, hmmm?"
Derek chuckled a little, "All right. Later." Then, "Huh?
"Oh...Ah..." She shifted easily in the water, sliding her shoulder out from under the sponge on the upstroke. She captured it deftly and smiled at Derek with her eyes.
Derek paused, looking at her with his head cocked curiously to the side
"Your turn," she said.
Derek hesitated, then nodded letting go of the sponge...he hadn't been done yet, but...Derek hugs her.
She snuggles happily against his chest.
Derek happily wraps arms around her, cuddling gently.
"He...could stay with my guys...on Patch's world?
"He's not human, Derek. He's not one of us. And they're -- if they were all like you I wouldn't mind. But they're all about human whores and drink."
" Not my team..."
"No?"
"Where is he from?"
"He's fae, Derek. His mother and father, I think. Both fae. He needs...a mother.
"They wont be on Patch's world."
"A little boy needs at least a mother."
"Lupe. Lupe will be there too."
Her eyes are suddenly wet. "Damnit. I'm sorry." She wipes them away. "He needs his own kind, doesn't he?"
Derek offers his arms. "Yes...but until we find them…If I could get him to talk to me...We could go look."
She reaches for him. "Where is his mother? Is she dead? He never asks, Derek."
"...Maybe he needs to be asked." Derek takes her in, holding her gently.
"I'll go look...but I need a direction."
"It's...there's no help for it."
"...There is. Just have to find it. I'm serious though...Kian can stay with the guys if you prefer...until something better comes along."
"Thank you."
"Got a couple of guys from Ireland."
"That...I suppose that helps."
"Ireland...used to fae. They've...uh....it runs in the family. Or so the old stories go...my world isn't as supernaturally simple as I thought."
"I thought...you were Ital - Sicilian."
"I am. Why...the Irish?"
"Two of my guys are Irish."
"Does that mean they're part fae on your world?"
"...The group is made up of independents from different places."
She's alarmed but keeps it out of her voice. Her arms have flexed on Derek, however.
"...well, the Irish are pretty tightly bound to the Celtic fae...and no, they're human. But their family has a lot of stories...and...they...have dealt with Fae."
Not in the least reassured, Jun releases Derek and goes to sit in the corner.
"You want to meet them first? They're human, Jun."
She walks to avoid giving any possible snipers a clear target. It's unconscious, but there it is. "I don't want him to go."
"All right. He won't then."
"...But doesn't that leave you with Yvaine as your choice?"
She waves her hand then covers her face with it.
"...Jun...Talk to me. What am I missing in this?"
"I don't want him to go. If I keep him here he'll be harmed. For sure. If I keep him I'm being selfish."
Derek sighs. "...Jun...can I ask you something?"
"Yes. Please do." She sighs gustily and folds her arms between her knees at the elbow.
"If...you didn't have to worry about the ISO...or assassins...or the Armada...would you keep Kian indefinitely? As your own?"
"Yes."
"Essentially, your child."
She shakes her head. Her face is red from suppressed tears.
Derek makes his way to her, sitting next to her, not touching, but close, "Then how? What is he to you, Jun?" he keeps his voice gentle...he wants to know...but not to judge...just to understand
"You don't understand...I want him for mine. To raise."
Derek was quiet for a moment before he nodded. "Because...?" he nudged her gently.
"It's how I feel."
Derek nodded again. "...How long do you think it will take this time...the armada?"
"The rest of my life." She said it promptly. Like she'd just been looking at a watch and he'd asked her the time.
Derek stayed quiet for several minutes, taking his time, unlike Jun. "If that's the case, then why are you shutting away everything but that?"
"What?" She looks puzzled but alert.
"If this war is going to be going on for the rest of your life, why are you shutting away everything but the war?"
"Back off, Derek. Please."
"All right." He gets up, moves away...but his body language doesn't shut her out...just gives her room. "Thanks for changing the hoses on the Jeep."
"I looked at the odometer and..." She realizes it's an intimate thing she did, climbing into the innards of his jeep. "I didn't touch anything else."
Derek smiles a little, "It's all right. I trust you."
She flops over on her side and wriggles so that she's in the remaining sun.
"...I've been trying to find signs of Ken at ISO...." he added quietly after a moment, "They tend to drag me in past a lot of locked doors."
"Right."
Jun's precise answer causes him to fall quiet again.
"...I have a contract...Wednesday...starting Wednesday."
"You're leaving for where?"
"San Juan."
Sitting up isn't as much of an effort as she anticipates. "Whose Puerto Rico?"
"San Juan Mexico"
"Okay."
"Back where I came from."
"Right. Why?"
"Because there aren't enough of us for me to sit it out. And because it's in the city...and because most of the guys only have a couple of years under their belts. And because they couldn't give us a definite number, so I'm going to have to find them all first."
"I realize there's an alien invasion due any minute now, but is there any other reason why I'm not going into that trap with you?" She still can't raise both eyebrows, so she does what she can to shove her mouth to one side of her face.
"...Because you don't like hunting?" Derek gives a smile that might mean he's either joking or not sure if she'll hit him for that comment.
"There's a lot of things I don't like. Hunting tops that list. I guess if I didn't hate it so much we'd make it a twosome, neh?"
"...Only if you wanted to. It's...a nasty job. I don't care what flak Wilson might give me for my targets not being human. It's still murder, and if they were human, it would be considered murder of the worst type. It's not clean. It's never clean. I'd never wish this job on anyone."
"I know."
"...You're welcome to it, Jun...it's good pay this time around...two thousand per confirmed kill...but...The money will come home either way...and I wouldn't ask you to do it when there's so many other nasty things for you to deal with here anyway..."
"It's your calling, my friend. I want to help you when I can. If you need me...let me know, yes?"
Derek smiled a little, nodding.
"Ah, don't worry about, Mr. Wilson. He's annoyed because he's greedy. And an assassin."
"Wasn't, really...I won't like not seeing you."
She made her way towards him.
"...not being able to touch you...or smell you..."
She laughs helplessly. "...Derek..."
"What...?" One eyebrow raises
Laughter pulls itself out of her. She gestures at their surroundings, the living area of an apartment she'd cleaned and the clothes she was still wearing.
"...And, your point?" his eyebrow raises a little higher, but he's smiling a little himself.
"You were sick all night." She shakes her head at him even as she hugs him.
Derek hugs her back, "...Sorry about that...sorry I couldn't help today."
"...I don't mind, darling." The word is awkward in her mouth but she says it again as she smoothes his hair back from his forehead. "You are my darling and you were sick and I don't mind that you got rest today. What kind of woman would I be if I expected you to perform in your weakened condition?" Her expression appears as set as ice, but complex humor informs her gaze -- like icebergs.
Derek's smile changed to a grin before going deadpan. "...Deadly."
"See? Too close to undead as it is."
"You think? You sure about that?"
"I know. I'm past weeping about it. I am content with your affections as they are."
"Oh, ow. Now that...that will kill me..." His hands spanned around her waist, fingers tracing nails carefully across her skin.
"No!" she shrieked and danced out of his reach. "I smell!"
Derek winced a little at the noise, and actually ducked to cover his ears. He blinked a little, watched as she headed for the furo. He followed her down the hall. She's acting all sorts of odd from what he's used to and he's not sure if he should follow her in or leave her be. Eventually, Derek let himself in, undressing where he should, joining her on the bench. "You worked hard today...may I?"
"Yes...of course."
Derek is gentle with the sponge, smoothing it over her back with long strokes. He likes this...likes doing this...likes feeling her back past the sponge and soap, feeling the hint of body heat between them that the water doesn't cool.
"I cleaned."
Derek sighed, smiling. "All right..." he reaches for the water
"I scrubbed. I went by Ken's trailer."
Derek stops moving, puts everything back down, and nods. "...And?"
"No sign of him."
Derek was quiet. Then, "Everything was still there though?"
"Hai."
She leans forward so he can reach lower on her back. "I cleaned there too. Then I made an appointment with the people I think are Landau, Luckman and Lake."
"...And they are?"
"Mr. Wilson told me about them."
Derek takes the physical clue and starts to gently scrub again.
"They're an interdimensional holding company. I'm not looking forward to seeing how much my liquid assets are worth on the omniversal market."
"...Are you planning on liquidating your assets?"
"No. I have liquid assets. But I have to be careful or I'll have revenue Utoland asking me questions."
"...What are you planning then?"
"Hiring mercerneries.
"...To find Ken?"
"To fight aliens."
"Raising an army?...how many?"
"I'm not that liquid."
Derek is silent for a moment, concentrating on her back, following the spine. "...Would you object to letting me help in respect to the money?"
"No."
"Then I would like to help. How many do you want?"
"Let's...talk war later, hmmm?"
Derek chuckled a little, "All right. Later." Then, "Huh?
"Oh...Ah..." She shifted easily in the water, sliding her shoulder out from under the sponge on the upstroke. She captured it deftly and smiled at Derek with her eyes.
Derek paused, looking at her with his head cocked curiously to the side
"Your turn," she said.
Derek hesitated, then nodded letting go of the sponge...he hadn't been done yet, but...Derek hugs her.
She snuggles happily against his chest.
Derek happily wraps arms around her, cuddling gently.